CN111199638B

CN111199638B - Distributed data collection and processing among fleet members

Info

Publication number: CN111199638B
Application number: CN201911118809.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: L·布鲁格曼; D·H·帕里克
Original assignee: Toyota Motor North America Inc
Current assignee: Toyota Motor North America Inc
Priority date: 2018-11-16
Filing date: 2019-11-15
Publication date: 2022-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 2039-11-15
Also published as: JP6978478B2; CN111199638A; JP2020107324A; US20200160722A1; US11011063B2

Abstract

Distributed data collection and processing among fleet members is disclosed. The fleet management system includes a processor and a non-transitory computer readable memory configured to store a set of machine readable instructions. The set of machine-readable instructions cause the fleet management system to: the method includes determining that a first vehicle and a second vehicle form a fleet of vehicles, delegating a first task to the first vehicle based on a first set of sensor resources of the first vehicle, delegating a second task to the second vehicle based on a second set of sensor resources of the second vehicle, wherein the first task is different from the second task, receiving first information generated in response to the first vehicle completing the first task using the first set of sensor resources, receiving second information generated in response to the second vehicle completing the second task, and transmitting at least one of the first information or the second information to at least one of the vehicles.

Description

Distributed data collection and processing among fleet members

Technical Field

The present description relates generally to fleet management systems and methods and, more particularly, to fleet systems and methods for managing the distribution of data collection and processing between vehicles traveling in a fleet.

Background

Autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles increasingly include systems implemented with a large number of sensor resources that can support a driver in maneuvering the vehicle and/or automatically maneuvering the vehicle through an environment. As the complexity increases with the demand for additional driver assistance systems and vehicle automation, the systems require an ever increasing amount of computing resources inside the vehicle. To cope with the increased computational demands of vehicle systems, some vehicles utilize off-board processing resources to perform data analysis and computation.

In addition, in the case where vehicles travel together in a fleet, information about the environment may be processed independently by each vehicle, thus repeating the collection of sensor data and the processing of the sensor data.

Disclosure of Invention

In one embodiment, a fleet management system includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable memory configured to store a set of machine-readable instructions. The set of machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the fleet management system to perform at least the following: the method includes determining that a first vehicle and a second vehicle form a fleet of vehicles, delegating a first task to the first vehicle based on a first set of sensor resources of the first vehicle, and delegating a second task to the second vehicle based on a second set of sensor resources of the second vehicle, wherein the first task is different from the second task. The set of machine-readable instructions further cause the fleet management system to: the method includes receiving, from a first vehicle, first information generated in response to the first vehicle completing a first task using a first set of sensor resources, receiving, from a second vehicle, second information generated in response to the second vehicle completing a second task using a second set of sensor resources, and transmitting at least one of the first information or the second information to at least one vehicle.

In some embodiments, a vehicle includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable memory configured to store a set of machine-readable instructions. The set of machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause at least the following: the method includes determining that the vehicle and a second vehicle form a fleet of vehicles, delegating a first task to the vehicle based on a first set of sensor resources of the vehicles, delegating a second task to the second vehicle based on a second set of sensor resources of the second vehicle, wherein the first task is different from the second task, and generating first information in response to the first task using the first set of sensor resources. The machine readable instruction set further causes a sensor of the vehicle to: second information generated in response to the second vehicle completing the second task using the second set of sensor resources is received from the second vehicle and the first information is transmitted to the second vehicle.

In some embodiments, a fleet management method includes determining that a first vehicle and a second vehicle form a fleet, delegating a first task to the first vehicle based on a first set of sensor resources of the first vehicle, and delegating a second task to the second vehicle based on a second set of sensor resources of the second vehicle, wherein the first task is different from the second task. The fleet management method also includes receiving results of the first task delegated to the first vehicle from a first computing device of the first vehicle, and sending the results of the first task delegated to the first vehicle to a second computing device of the second vehicle.

These and additional features provided by the embodiments described herein will be more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and are not intended to limit the subject matter defined by the claims. The following detailed description of illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals, and in which:

fig. 1 shows an illustrative embodiment of two vehicles traveling in a fleet in accordance with one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates components of a vehicle including sensor resources and a computing device, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

fig. 3 shows an illustrative embodiment of a fleet communication system in accordance with one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method for managing distribution of data collection and data processing among vehicles traveling in a fleet of vehicles in accordance with one or more embodiments shown and described herein; and

FIG. 5 shows an illustrative embodiment of delegating the task of monitoring and processing image data for a portion of an environment in accordance with one or more embodiments shown and described herein.

Detailed Description

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and methods for managing data collection and processing distribution of collected data for sharing between vehicles traveling in a fleet of vehicles. Currently, in the case where vehicles travel together in a fleet, information about the environment may be processed independently by each vehicle, thus repeating the collection of sensor data and the processing of sensor data. However, by distributing tasks related to the collection, processing, and sharing of information obtained through vehicle sensor resources among vehicles in a fleet of vehicles, duplication and redundancy of the collection and processing of information may be reduced. In addition, by distributing tasks among vehicles traveling within a fleet, one or more other vehicles of the fleet may be utilized to collect, process, and share information about the environment that may not be available to a single vehicle.

Embodiments described herein include a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system, a sensor system for collecting data, and a computing device for processing the data and sharing the processed information between vehicles traveling in a fleet. The systems and methods described herein may involve autonomous vehicles, non-autonomous vehicles, or a combination of both vehicles traveling together in a fleet. Additionally, the vehicle may include various sensor resources. In some cases, a vehicle may not be configured with sensors for look-around monitoring (i.e., a system configured to monitor the environment around the vehicle), however, one or more sensor resources from one or more other vehicles traveling in a fleet may be given the following tasks: processed information about a particular environmental area is provided so that look-around monitoring can be achieved for the vehicles of the fleet.

As will be described herein, duplication of collection and processing of sensor data associated with one or more vehicles traveling in a fleet of vehicles may be reduced through management and distribution of data collection tasks and subsequent processing and distribution of task results to vehicles traveling in the fleet. Systems and methods for managing the distribution of data collection and data processing between vehicles traveling in a fleet will now be described herein.

Turning now to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like structures, and particularly to FIG. 1, an illustrative embodiment of two vehicles traveling in a fleet is shown. As shown, the fleet 100 includes a first vehicle 102 and a second vehicle 104. A third vehicle 106 that is not part of the fleet also travels with the fleet 100 along the road. In embodiments, as will be described in greater detail herein, two or more vehicles determined to travel together may form a fleet of vehicles. The fleet of vehicles 100 may also be referred to as teams or groups. As used herein, it should be understood that the fleet 100 defines two or more vehicles traveling together and configured to support each other.

In fig. 1, a fleet 100 includes a first vehicle 102 and a second vehicle 104, where the second vehicle 104 travels behind the first vehicle 102. A platoon running with one vehicle running behind another is an example of a fleet configuration. However, it should be understood that the vehicles of the fleet may not travel in a wire formation or within line of sight of each other. In some embodiments, the vehicles of the fleet may be separated by other vehicles on the road or may be several miles apart, but still travel together. Thus, the assignment of tasks to vehicles in a fleet may depend on the relative positions between the vehicles traveling in the fleet.

In some embodiments, the first vehicle 102 may be given the following tasks: GPS, camera and other relevant sensor data for determining navigation-related information is collected and processed, while the second vehicle 104 may be given the following tasks: sensor information relating to weather conditions is collected and processed. The results of processing navigation-related sensor data by the first vehicle 102 (e.g., whether there is a congestion or accident along the route) may be sent to the second vehicle 104 so that the second vehicle 104 may not need to make an independent determination of congestion or an accident along the route. Similarly, the results of processing sensor data used to determine weather by the second vehicle 104 may be sent to the first vehicle 102. Further examples will be discussed and described herein.

Referring now to FIG. 2, an example schematic diagram of a vehicle including sensor resources and a computing device is shown. Not every vehicle needs to be equipped with the same set of sensor resources, nor does it need to be configured with the same set of systems for determining environmental attributes. FIG. 2 provides only one example configuration of sensor resources and systems deployed within a vehicle. Further, although fig. 2 refers to vehicle 102, any of the vehicles discussed and described herein (e.g., vehicles 104 and 106) may include the same or similar configurations as vehicle 102 shown and described with respect to fig. 2.

In particular, fig. 2 provides an example schematic diagram of a vehicle including various sensor resources that may be utilized by the vehicle 102 to determine attributes of an environment and to share results with another vehicle (e.g., vehicle 104, fig. 1) traveling with the vehicle 102 in a fleet. For example, the vehicle 102 may include a computing device 130 including a processor 132 and a non-transitory computer readable memory 134, a proximity sensor 140, a microphone 142, one or more cameras 144, an infrared light emitter 146 and an infrared detector 148, a Global Positioning System (GPS)150, a weather sensor 152, a blind spot monitor 154, a vehicle speed sensor 156, a steering wheel sensor system 158, a LIDAR system 160, and network interface hardware 170. These and other components of the vehicle may be communicatively connected to each other via a communication path 120.

The communication path 120 may be formed of any medium capable of transmitting signals, such as, for example, a wire, a conductive trace, an optical waveguide, and the like. Communication path 120 may also refer to a broad area through which electromagnetic radiation and its corresponding electromagnetic waves pass. Also, the communication path 120 may be formed of a combination of media capable of transmitting signals. In one embodiment, the communication path 120 includes a combination of conductive traces, wires, connectors, and buses that cooperate to allow electrical data signals to be transmitted to components such as processors, memories, sensors, input devices, output devices, and communication devices. Thus, the communication path 120 may include a bus. Further, it is noted that the term "signal" refers to a waveform (e.g., electrical, optical, magnetic, mechanical, or electromagnetic) such as a DC, AC, sine wave, triangular wave, square wave, vibration, or the like, that is capable of traveling through a medium. As used herein, the term "communicatively coupled" means that the coupling components are capable of exchanging signals with each other, such as, for example, electrical signals via a conductive medium, electromagnetic signals via air, optical signals via optical waveguides, and so forth.

Computing device 130 may be any device or combination of components including a processor 132 and non-transitory computer-readable memory 134. The processor 132 may be any device capable of executing a set of machine-readable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable memory 134. Thus, the processor 132 may be an electrical controller, an integrated circuit, a microchip, a computer, or any other computing device. The processor 132 is communicatively coupled to other components of the vehicle 102 via the communication path 120. Thus, the communication path 120 may communicatively couple any number of processors 132 to one another and allow the components coupled to the communication path 120 to operate in a distributed computing environment. In particular, each component may operate as a node that may send and/or receive data. Although the embodiment shown in fig. 2 includes a single processor 132, other embodiments may include more than one processor 132.

The non-transitory computer readable memory 134 may include RAM, ROM, flash memory, a hard drive, or any non-transitory memory device capable of storing machine readable instructions such that the machine readable instructions may be accessed and executed by the processor 132. The set of machine-readable instructions may include logic or algorithm(s) written in any generation of any programming language (e.g., 1GL, 2GL, 3GL, 4GL, or 5GL), such as, for example, a machine language that may be directly executed by the processor 132, or an assembly language, object-oriented programming (OOP), scripting language, microcode, or the like, which may be compiled or assembled into machine-readable instructions and stored in the non-transitory computer-readable memory 134. Alternatively, the set of machine-readable instructions may be written in a Hardware Description Language (HDL) such as logic implemented via a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) configuration or Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) or equivalent thereof. Thus, the functions described herein can be implemented in any conventional computer programming language, as preprogrammed hardware elements, or as a combination of hardware and software components. Although the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes a single non-transitory computer-readable memory 134, other embodiments may include more than one memory module.

Still referring to fig. 2, the proximity sensor 140 may be any device or combination of components capable of outputting a signal indicating whether an object is present within or near the vehicle 102. The proximity sensor 140 may also be a sensor capable of determining a range or distance to an object, such as a distance from the vehicle 102 to another vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle 102. The proximity sensors 140 may include one or more sensors including, but not limited to, cameras, laser distance sensors, ultrasonic sensors, radar sensor systems, motion sensors, thermal sensors to determine whether an object is present beside, behind, or in front of the vehicle 102. In some embodiments, one or more proximity sensors 140 may be configured to enable a look-around monitoring system for the vehicle 102.

Microphone 142 is coupled to communication path 120 and is communicatively coupled to computing device 130. The microphone 142 may be any device capable of transforming mechanical vibrations associated with sound into electrical signals indicative of the sound. The microphone 142 may be used to monitor sound levels for purposes such as determining the presence of congestion within the environment of the vehicle 102, approaching an emergency vehicle, etc.

The vehicle 102 may also include one or more cameras 144. The one or more cameras 144 may enable a variety of different monitoring, detection, control, and/or warning systems within the vehicle 102. The one or more cameras 144 may be any device having an array of sensing devices (e.g., a CCD array or active pixel sensors) capable of detecting radiation in the ultraviolet, visible, or infrared bands. The one or more cameras 144 may have any resolution. The one or more cameras 144 may be omnidirectional cameras or panoramic cameras. In some embodiments, one or more optical components, such as mirrors, fisheye lenses, or any other type of lens, may be optically coupled to the one or more cameras 144.

In some embodiments, infrared light emitter 146 and/or infrared detector 148 are coupled to communication path 120 and communicatively coupled to computing device 130. Infrared light, also known as infrared radiation, is an Electromagnetic (EM) radiation like visible light, but infrared light is generally invisible to the human eye. EM radiation is transmitted in the form of waves or particles across a range of wavelengths and frequencies. The infrared light wave is longer than the visible light wavelength, beyond the red end of the visible spectrum. Infrared light emitter 146 emits infrared light in the (EM) spectral range between microwave and visible light. The infrared light has a frequency from about 300GHz up to about 400THz and a wavelength of about 1 millimeter to 740 nanometers, although these values are not absolute. Infrared light spectra can be described in sub-divisions based on wavelength and frequency. For example, the near infrared may have a frequency of about 214THz to about 400THz and a wavelength of about 1400 nanometers to about 740 nanometers, while the far infrared may have a frequency of about 300GHz to about 20THz and a wavelength of about 1 millimeter to about 15 micrometers. The infrared light may be subdivided into more partitions.

The infrared detector 148 may be configured to detect light emitted and/or reflected within the infrared light spectrum. The infrared light emitter 146 and infrared detector 148 may be implemented as sensor resources of the vehicle to provide computer vision and navigation capabilities to the vehicle 102 in low light or poor weather conditions. The infrared detector 148 may be a device configured to capture the presence of infrared light, e.g., determine the presence of infrared light reflected by an object, or may include a CCD array or active pixel sensor that may be configured to generate an image of an environment illuminated or producing infrared light by the infrared light.

Still referring to fig. 2, a global positioning system, GPS150, may be coupled to the communication path 120 and communicatively coupled to the computing device 130 of the vehicle 102. The GPS150 is capable of generating location information indicative of the location of the vehicle 102 by receiving one or more GPS signals from one or more GPS satellites. The GPS signals transmitted to the computing device 130 via the communication path 120 may include location information including National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) messages, latitude and longitude data sets, street addresses, names of known locations based on a location database, etc. Further, the GPS150 may be interchangeable with any other system capable of generating an output indicative of location. For example, a local positioning system that provides location based on cellular signals and broadcast towers or a wireless signal detection device that is capable of triangulating location by wireless signals received from one or more wireless signal antennas.

The vehicle 102 may also include weather sensors 152, such as temperature sensors, rain gauges, anemometers, UV light sensors, and the like. The weather sensor 152 may be coupled to the communication path 120 and communicatively coupled to the computing device 130. The weather sensor 152 may be any device capable of outputting a signal indicative of a weather condition, such as a temperature level, a presence or amount of precipitation, a wind direction and/or speed, a presence and/or intensity of sunlight, and the like. The information collected by the weather sensors 152 may provide the vehicle 102 with information defining the current weather conditions. In response, the vehicle 102 (e.g., autonomous vehicle) may reduce its speed in the event heavy rain is detected, or prepare for a longer stopping distance if it is determined that the temperature will be below freezing (i.e., expected to freeze the road). Similarly, for non-autonomous vehicles, information collected and processed from weather sensors may prepare and activate an auxiliary braking system based on weather conditions and/or provide a warning to the driver of potentially dangerous road conditions.

The blind spot monitor 154 may include one or more proximity sensors 140, one or more cameras 144, and other sensors that detect the presence of a vehicle in the driver's blind spot. For example, during a lane change maneuver, the blind spot monitor may assist drivers in determining whether the lane they are planning to enter is clear of traffic.

Vehicle 102 may also include a vehicle speed sensor 156 coupled to communication path 120 and communicatively coupled to computing device 130. The vehicle speed sensor 156 may be any sensor or sensor system for generating a signal indicative of vehicle speed. For example, but not limiting of, the vehicle speed sensor 156 may be a tachometer capable of generating a signal indicative of the rotational speed of a shaft or drive axle of the engine of the vehicle 102. The signal generated by the vehicle speed sensor 156 may be transmitted to the computing device 130 and converted to a vehicle speed value. The vehicle speed value indicates the speed of the vehicle 102. In some embodiments, the vehicle speed sensor 156 includes an opto-isolator slotted disc sensor, a hall effect sensor, a doppler radar, or the like. In some embodiments, the vehicle speed sensor 156 may include data from the GPS150 for determining the speed of the vehicle 102. A vehicle speed sensor 156 may be provided so that the computing device 130 can determine when the vehicle 102 is accelerating, maintaining a constant speed, decelerating, or stopped. For example, the vehicle speed sensor 156 may provide a signal to the computing device 130 indicating that the vehicle 102 is decelerating due to a change in traffic conditions or before the vehicle performs a steering maneuver.

Still referring to fig. 2, the steering wheel sensor system 158 may be coupled to the communication path 120 and communicatively coupled to the computing device 130. The steering wheel sensor system 158 may include a plurality of sensors in the steering wheel for determining the driver's grip on the steering wheel, the degree of rotation applied to the steering wheel, or the force applied when turning or holding the steering wheel. The steering wheel sensor system 158 may provide a signal to the computing device 130 indicating the position and number of hands on the steering wheel, the strength of the grip on the steering wheel, or a change in the position of one or more hands on the steering wheel. For example, but not limiting of, the steering wheel sensor system 158 may include pressure sensors, inductive sensors, optical sensors, and the like. In addition to detecting the position, number, grip, and change in position of one or more hands on the steering wheel, the steering wheel sensor system 158 may also include one or more sensors that indicate the angle of rotation of the steering wheel and provide corresponding signals to the computing device 130.

In some embodiments, the vehicle 102 may include a LIDAR system 160. The LIDAR system 160 is communicatively coupled to the communication path 120 and the computing device 130. The LIDAR system 160 or light detection and ranging is a system and method that uses a pulsed laser to measure the distance from the LIDAR system 160 to an object that reflects the pulsed laser. The LIDAR system 160 may be made as a solid-state device with little or no moving parts, including those configured as optical phased array devices, where its prism-like behavior allows a wide field of view without the weight and size complexity associated with conventional rotating LIDAR systems 160. The LIDAR system 160 is particularly suited to measuring time-of-flight, which in turn may be associated with a range measurement of objects within the field of view of the LIDAR system 160. By calculating the difference in return times for various wavelengths of pulsed laser light emitted by the LIDAR system 160, a digital 3-D representation of the target or environment may be generated. The pulsed laser light emitted by the LIDAR system 160 includes emissions operating in or near the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum, e.g., having an emitted radiation of about 905 nanometers. The vehicle 102 may use sensors such as the LIDAR system 160 to provide detailed 3D spatial information that is used to identify objects in the vicinity of the vehicle 102, and such information is used in system services of vehicle mapping, navigation, and autonomous operation, particularly when combined with a georeferencing device such as GPS150 or a gyroscope-based inertial navigation unit (INU, not shown) or related dead reckoning systems.

Still referring to fig. 2, vehicles are now more commonly equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems. Some systems rely on network interface hardware 170. The network interface hardware 170 may be coupled to the communication path 120 and communicatively coupled to the computing device 130. The network interface hardware 170 may be any device capable of sending and/or receiving data with the network 180 or directly with another vehicle equipped with a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system (e.g., vehicle 104 or 106). Thus, the network interface hardware 170 may include a communications transceiver for sending and/or receiving any wired or wireless communications. For example, the network interface hardware 170 may include an antenna, a modem, a LAN port, a Wi-Fi card, a WiMax card, mobile communication hardware, near field communication hardware, satellite communication hardware, and/or any wired or wireless hardware for communicating with other networks and/or devices. In one embodiment, the network interface hardware 170 comprises hardware configured to operate in accordance with the Bluetooth wireless communication protocol. In another embodiment, the network interface hardware 170 may include a bluetooth transmit/receive module for transmitting and receiving bluetooth communications to/from the network 180 and/or another vehicle.

Referring now to fig. 3, an illustrative embodiment of a fleet communication system is shown. In some embodiments, communication between the

vehicles

102, 104, and 106 of the fleet may be direct. That is, first vehicle 102 may communicate directly with second vehicle 104 and/or third vehicle 106, second vehicle 104 may communicate directly with first vehicle 102 and/or third vehicle 106, and third vehicle 106 may communicate directly with first vehicle 102 and/or second vehicle 104. In some embodiments, the

vehicles

102, 104, and 106 of the fleet may communicate with each other over a network 180. In still other embodiments, the

vehicles

102, 104, and 106 of the fleet may communicate with one or more remote computing devices 192 and/or one or more servers 193.

Network 180 may include one or more computer networks (e.g., personal, local, or wide area networks), cellular networks, satellite networks, and/or global positioning systems, as well as combinations thereof. Thus, the

fleet vehicles

102, 104, and 106 and the one or more remote computing devices 192 and/or the one or more servers 193 may be communicatively coupled to each other by the network 180 via wired or wireless technology, via a wide area network, via a local area network, via a personal area network, via a cellular network, via a satellite network, and/or the like. Suitable local area networks may include wired ethernet and/or wireless technologies such as, for example, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi). Suitable personal area networks may include wireless technologies such as, for example, IrDA, Bluetooth, wireless USB, Z-Wave, ZigBee, and/or other near field communication protocols. Suitable personal area networks may similarly include wired computer buses such as, for example, USB and FireWire. Suitable cellular networks include, but are not limited to, technologies such as LTE, WiMAX, UMTS, CDMA, and GSM.

In particular, fig. 3 shows a first vehicle 102 having a computing device 130A, a set of sensor resources (e.g., as shown and described with respect to fig. 2), and network interface hardware 170A, a second vehicle 104 having a computing device 130B, a set of sensor resources (e.g., as shown and described with respect to fig. 2), and network interface hardware 170B, and a third vehicle having a computing device 130C, a set of sensor resources (e.g., as shown and described with respect to fig. 2), and network interface hardware 170C. As described in more detail herein, each vehicle in the fleet, e.g., first vehicle 102, second vehicle 104, and third vehicle 106, may be delegated a task. As used herein, "delegation" refers to assigning a task to one vehicle such that other vehicles traveling in the fleet may not need to perform the same task, but rather other vehicles may receive the results of the task from the one vehicle to which the task is assigned. The tasks may include collecting information from one or more sensor resources and processing the collected information by computing devices of the vehicle (e.g.,

computing devices

130A, 130B, and 130C). Once the results are generated from the processing of the collected information, each vehicle (e.g., first vehicle 102, second vehicle 104, and third vehicle 106) may transmit the results to other vehicles in the fleet. Communication between the vehicles of the fleet (e.g., first vehicle 102, second vehicle 104, and third vehicle 106) may be accomplished directly via vehicle-to-vehicle communication or through a network 180 communicatively connecting

vehicles

102, 104, and 106.

In some embodiments, the one or more remote computing devices 192 and/or the one or more servers 193 may determine whether the vehicle belongs to a fleet of vehicles, delegate and manage tasks delegated to the fleet of vehicles, and coordinate the transfer of results of delegated tasks between the fleet of vehicles. In some embodiments, the computing device 130A of one of the vehicles (e.g., the first vehicle 102) may determine whether the vehicle belongs to a fleet of vehicles, delegate and manage tasks delegated to the vehicles of the fleet, and coordinate the transfer of results of the delegated tasks between the vehicles of the fleet. In still other embodiments, the combination of the computing devices of the vehicles in the fleet and the one or more remote computing devices 192 may facilitate management of the distribution of data collection and data processing among the vehicles traveling in the fleet.

The following sections will now describe embodiments of the operation of the system and method for managing the distribution of data collection and data processing between vehicles traveling in a fleet.

The present disclosure is premised herein on supplementing systems not present on each vehicle of a fleet of vehicles and reducing redundancy in the collection of sensor information and processing of sensor information among vehicles of the fleet of vehicles. For example, if two vehicles are traveling together in a fleet and a first vehicle includes a set of sensor resources and/or systems that a second vehicle does not have, then the first vehicle may be given the following tasks: the second vehicle is provided with collected and processed information from a set of sensors and/or systems not configured on the second vehicle. As another example, a first vehicle may travel in a fleet with a second vehicle and be positioned with the second vehicle in such a way that: a first vehicle may collect and process information related to both vehicles so that a second vehicle may conserve or allocate computing resources to other tasks.

Referring now to fig. 4, a flowchart 200 of an example method for managing the distribution of data collection and data processing among vehicles traveling in a fleet of vehicles is shown. As described above, the method may be performed by a computing device of a vehicle in a fleet, a remote computing device, or a combination of both. The flowchart 200 shown in fig. 4 is representative of a set of machine readable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer readable memory 134 and executed by the processor 132 of the computing device 130 or the remote computing device 192. The process of flowchart 200 in fig. 4 may be performed at various times and in response to signals from sensors communicatively coupled to computing device 130 or remote computing device 192.

In particular, at block 210, the computing device determines a plurality of vehicles belonging to a fleet of vehicles. The member vehicle may be determined in a number of ways. For example, a first vehicle may broadcast a signal to vehicles in an area. The signal may prompt the other vehicle to provide a response via its computing device and network interface hardware desiring to join the fleet. In some embodiments, a vehicle configured with the fleet management system described herein may include a unique identification. For example, a first vehicle attempting to join a second vehicle to form a fleet of vehicles (e.g., because they are traveling on the same route and/or to the same destination at similar or the same time) may look up the unique identification of the second vehicle and send a request to the second vehicle to form the fleet of vehicles based on the unique identification. The remote computing device may provide an application through an application interface to facilitate this action (e.g., through a web application deployed in the vehicle or a web page hosted by a server or an application configured within memory of the vehicle's computing device). The application may provide access to a database of vehicles configured to join a fleet of vehicles. Through separate operations, a user, for example through a mobile device, vehicle interface, remote computing device, or the like, may select one or more vehicles forming a fleet of vehicles or request to join another vehicle to form a fleet of vehicles. At block 210, based on the received input, the system may determine a plurality of vehicles belonging to a fleet of vehicles.

In some embodiments, upon joining a fleet of vehicles, a set of sensor resources and/or systems configured within the vehicles of the fleet are transmitted to a computing device implementing the methods described herein. For example, when a second vehicle joins a first vehicle in a fleet of vehicles, a set of sensor resources configured within the second vehicle is provided to a computing device that manages the first vehicle of the fleet of vehicles. In other embodiments, the computing device may receive the make, model, and/or trim package identifier of the vehicle and look up a set of sensor resources configured in the vehicle, for example, in a networking database. When joining a fleet of vehicles, the vehicles may provide Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) or specifications of the vehicles so that a fleet management system may delegate tasks to the vehicles according to a set of sensor resources configured in the vehicles.

At block 220, the computing device may then delegate the information collection and processing of the first task to the first vehicle. For example, delegating the first task to the first vehicle may be based on the presence of a sensor or system configured in the first vehicle but not in the second vehicle. A first vehicle may include look-around monitoring through the implementation of cameras, proximity sensors, etc., while a second vehicle may not include such a system. Thus, the results of the task of look-around monitoring processed by the first computing device of the first vehicle may be relevant and useful for a second vehicle traveling together in a fleet at the same time.

In another embodiment, each vehicle may include the same or similar set of sensor resources. In such an embodiment, a first task that is delegated to a first vehicle may be delegated to the first vehicle because the first vehicle is in a better position to obtain information than a second vehicle. For example, if a first vehicle is traveling in front of a second vehicle, the task of detecting objects or hazards on the road in front of the platoon may be delegated to the first vehicle, and the results may be shared with the second vehicle. As another example, the first task may include determining a traffic condition, symbolic identification of navigation, and/or the presence of a building or accident.

At block 230, the computing device may also delegate the information collection and processing of the second task to the second vehicle. For example, delegating the second task to the second vehicle may be based on the presence of a sensor or system configured in the second vehicle but not in the first vehicle. The second vehicle may include a weather sensor configured to determine whether it is raining, whether the road is likely to freeze, outside temperature, visible distance, etc. Thus, weather conditions may be determined and provided to another vehicle in the fleet, such as a first vehicle that may not be equipped with a weather sensor.

Tasks that may be delegated may also include, for example, but not limited to, navigation-related tasks, determining weather conditions, monitoring surrounding, rear, and/or front lanes of a fleet to coordinate fleet operations, and the like. The delegation of the task may depend on the sensor resources configured on each vehicle of the fleet, the location of the vehicles in the fleet, the amount of processing resources needed to complete the task, and so on. For example, the computing device may delegate the first task to the first vehicle and further indicate that the first vehicle is the lead vehicle of the fleet (e.g., as a secondary condition). The computing device may then delegate the second task to the second vehicle, and further instruct the vehicle to follow the first vehicle within a predetermined distance from the first vehicle. In the event that a secondary condition associated with the task (such as becoming a lead vehicle or maintaining a following distance) fails to be followed, then the computing device may re-delegate the task and/or require other vehicles in the fleet to provide coverage for the task while a second vehicle does not meet the secondary condition.

For example, if a first vehicle is delegated a task of monitoring a hazard, such as an object or pothole in the roadway, on the roadway in front of the vehicle, and the first vehicle is overtaken by a second vehicle in the fleet, the computing device may transfer the delegated task to the second vehicle while the second vehicle maintains a lead position of the fleet. The location of the vehicles within the fleet may be determined by the GPS signals shared by each vehicle in the fleet with the computing device managing the fleet. As described above, the computing device managing the fleet of vehicles may be a computing device of a vehicle of the fleet, a remote computing device connected to the vehicle of the fleet via a network, or a combination of both.

Still referring to the flowchart 200 in fig. 4, at block 240, the computing device determines whether there are additional tasks to delegate between two or more vehicles that make up the fleet. If additional tasks are to be delegated, the computing device may delegate these tasks to one of the vehicles of the fleet at block 250. Without additional tasks to delegate, the computing device may then coordinate, receive, and/or distribute the processed information for each delegated task among the vehicles traveling in the fleet at block 260. For example, in the case of a system managed by a computing device of a vehicle of a fleet of vehicles, the computing device may provide all vehicles in the fleet with an address (e.g., such as an internet protocol or other communication identification number) of each vehicle traveling in the fleet so that each vehicle may send a communication of the results of its delegated task directly to other vehicles in the fleet. In another example, where the system is managed by a computing device, such as a remote computing device, the computing device may receive the results of the delegated task from each vehicle in the fleet of vehicles and distribute the results of the delegated task to vehicles in the fleet that are not delegated tasks. In other words, the computing device manages the collection and transmission of information between vehicles of a fleet of vehicles.

For example, a computing device implementing a fleet management method may receive, from a first vehicle, first information generated in response to the first vehicle completing a first task using a first set of sensor resources. The computing device may also receive, from the second vehicle, second information generated in response to the second vehicle completing the second task using the second set of sensor resources; at least one of the first information or the second information is then transmitted to at least one vehicle.

Turning to fig. 5, an illustrative example of a fleet of two

vehicles

102 and 104 is shown. In the illustrative example, the first vehicle 102 travels as a lead vehicle relative to the second vehicle 104 in the fleet. The computing device has delegated a first task of monitoring objects, hazards, and traffic in the environment in front of the fleet of vehicles. For example, the first vehicle 102 includes a first camera 144A positioned to view the environment in front of the first vehicle 102. The first vehicle 102 receives image data from the first camera 144A within the field of view 145A. The computing device of the first vehicle 102 processes the image data and provides alerts and/or information to the second vehicle 104 regarding the presence of objects, hazards, and/or traffic conditions.

The computing device also delegates a second task of look-around monitoring and blind spot monitoring of the fleet to a second vehicle 104. In the example shown in fig. 5, the second vehicle 104 includes at least one camera 144B positioned to view a portion of the environment in front of the second vehicle 104. Since the first vehicle 102 is given the task of monitoring the environment ahead of the fleet of vehicles, the task delegated to the second vehicle 104 specifies two fields of

view

145B and 145C for which the second vehicle is responsible for monitoring, collecting image data therefrom, and processing the image data to determine the presence of other vehicles and/or objects. For example, as shown, the field of view directly in front of the second vehicle 104 need not be processed by the second vehicle 104 because the first task delegated to the first vehicle 102 covers that particular field of view. Additionally, the second task delegated to the second vehicle 104 provides look-around monitoring and/or blind spot monitoring for the first vehicle 102. For example, if the first vehicle 102 plans to change lanes to the left, the first vehicle 102 may make an informed lane change maneuver using information received from the second vehicle 104 regarding the second tasks of look-around monitoring and blind spot monitoring.

It should now be appreciated that the embodiments described herein are directed to a fleet system and method for managing the distribution of data collection and data processing between vehicles traveling in a fleet. The systems and methods described herein may leverage vehicle computing devices and sensor resources of vehicles traveling together in a fleet of vehicles to delegate tasks among the vehicles within the fleet to supplement or reduce redundancy of computing information gathered about the environment in which the fleet is traveling. According to embodiments shown and described herein, a computing device within or connected to a vehicle of a fleet may determine membership of the fleet, delegate tasks to one or more vehicles in the fleet, and manage distribution of results of the delegation tasks to other vehicles in the fleet.

Note that the terms "substantially" and "approximately" may be used herein to connote an inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or other representation. These terms are also utilized herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter at issue.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein, these aspects need not be used in combination. It is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Claims

1. A fleet management system, comprising:

a computing device configured to:

determining that the first vehicle and the second vehicle form a fleet of vehicles;

delegating a first task to a first vehicle based on a first set of sensor resources of the first vehicle, the first vehicle configured to sense a property defined by the first task about an environment surrounding the first vehicle;

delegating a second task to the second vehicle based on a second set of sensor resources of the second vehicle, the second vehicle configured to sense a property defined by the second task about the environment surrounding the second vehicle, wherein the first task is different from the second task and the second vehicle includes one or more different sensor resources in the second set of sensor resources, the one or more different sensor resources not included in the first set of sensor resources of the first vehicle, and delegating the second task to the second vehicle is based on the one or more different sensor resources in the second set of sensor resources;

receiving, from a first vehicle, first information generated in response to the first vehicle completing a first task utilizing a first set of sensor resources;

receiving, from a second vehicle, second information generated in response to the second vehicle completing a second task utilizing a second set of sensor resources; and

at least one of the first information or the second information is transmitted to at least one vehicle.

2. The fleet management system of claim 1, further comprising a first vehicle and a second vehicle, wherein:

the first vehicle includes a first computing device and a first set of sensor resources,

the second vehicle includes a second computing device and a second set of sensor resources,

the first computing device is configured to communicate with the second computing device, and

the second computing device is configured to communicate with the first computing device.

3. The fleet management system of claim 2, further comprising a third vehicle having a third set of sensor resources and a third computing device, wherein:

the third computing device is configured to communicate with the first computing device and the second computing device; and is

Wherein the computing device is configured to:

determining that the fleet of vehicles further includes a third vehicle; and

delegating a third task to the third vehicle based on a third set of sensor resources of the third vehicle, wherein the third task is different from the first task and the second task.

4. The fleet management system of claim 2, wherein the first computing device of the first vehicle sends an alert to the second computing device of the second vehicle when a hazard or object is determined to be present in the road ahead of the fleet of vehicles based on the first task.

5. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the first task delegated to the first vehicle comprises a secondary condition, wherein the secondary condition requires the first vehicle to travel in front of a second vehicle in the fleet.

6. The fleet management system of claim 5, wherein, when the secondary condition is not met, the computing device is configured to:

the first task is reassigned to another vehicle in the fleet.

7. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to:

receiving a vehicle identification number of a first vehicle; and is

A first set of sensor resources of a first vehicle is identified based on a vehicle identification number of the first vehicle.

8. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein determining that the fleet includes the first vehicle and the second vehicle is based on a request from the second vehicle to form a fleet with the first vehicle.

9. A vehicle, comprising:

a computing device configured to:

determining that the vehicle and the second vehicle form a fleet of vehicles;

delegating a first task to a vehicle based on a first set of sensor resources of the vehicle, the vehicle configured to sense a property defined by the first task about an environment surrounding the vehicle;

generating first information in response to the first task using the first set of sensor resources;

receiving, from a second vehicle, second information generated in response to the second vehicle completing a second task using a second set of sensor resources; and

the first information is transmitted to the second vehicle.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the computing device is configured to:

determining that the fleet of vehicles further includes a third vehicle; and

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the first task delegated to the vehicle includes a secondary condition; wherein the secondary condition requires that the vehicle travels in front of a second vehicle in the platoon.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein when the secondary condition is not satisfied, the computing device is configured to re-delegate the first task to another vehicle in the fleet.

13. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the computing device is configured to:

receiving a vehicle identification number of a second vehicle; and is

A second set of sensor resources for the second vehicle is identified based on the vehicle identification number of the second vehicle.

14. A fleet management method, comprising:

delegating a first task to the first vehicle based on a first set of sensor resources of the first vehicle;

delegating a second task to the second vehicle based on a second set of sensor resources of the second vehicle, wherein the first task is different from the second task and the second vehicle includes one or more different sensor resources in the second set of sensor resources that are not included in the first set of sensor resources of the first vehicle, and delegating the second task to the second vehicle is based on the one or more different sensor resources in the second set of sensor resources;

receiving, from a first computing device of a first vehicle, results of a first task delegated to the first vehicle; and is

The results of the first task delegated to the first vehicle are sent to a second computing device of the second vehicle.

15. The fleet management method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, from a second computing device of a second vehicle, results of a second task delegated to the second vehicle; and is

The results of the second task delegated to the second vehicle are sent to the first computing device.

16. The fleet management method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, from a first computing device, a vehicle identification number of a first vehicle; and is

17. The fleet management method of claim 14, wherein determining that the fleet of vehicles includes the first vehicle and the second vehicle further comprises:

a request to form a fleet with a first vehicle is received from a second computing device of a second vehicle.

18. The fleet management method of claim 14, wherein the first task delegated to the first vehicle comprises a secondary condition, wherein the secondary condition requires the first vehicle to travel in front of a second vehicle in the fleet.

19. The fleet management method of claim 18, further comprising:

when the secondary condition is not met, the first task is reassigned to another vehicle in the fleet.